Tire chuck



July 21, 1931. ,.1. A. VINCENT 1,815,533

TIRE CHUCK lrhn...

HIM

JWLI wmll,

2o i this character ameans 4:-4 of Figure Patented July 21, 1931 4nutriti!)Y STATES PATENT, ortica .mains a. vincular. or ritenne-Non, anche isLANn TIRE CHUCK vApplication tiled May 25,

' regulating and indicating means as an element thereof whereby pressure within a tire to which the chuck is applied may be automatically regulated through a predetermined setting of an indicator cooperating with pressure regulating mea-ns in the chuck. Y

Among the objects of the invention are: the provision Vin a tire chuck .of a novel vand improved automatic pressure supply governing means; the provision of a novel tire chuck having means `for automatically Vregulating the passage of a Vsupply of pneumaticv pressure medium therethrough; the provision of a `tire chuck having means for controlling an air supply by a predetermined -control l regulation mechanism;

for effecting deflation of a tire to a predetermined point; and generally to provide novel and improved structural details in a tire chuck assembly;

` YVith these and such other objects in Iview as will `be apparent from the description,` 4the invention residesin the novel construction, combination and arrangement oparts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein are shown certain practical, physical embodiments o the principles underlying this invention.

Figure 1 isa perspective of a chuck constructed inaccordance as applied over the valve stem of a pneumatic tire.

Figure 2 isa vertical section taken longitudinally through one form of chuck asshown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section longitudinally through another form ot chuclhavingthe external .contigurationas shown in Figure 1.

Figure 41 is a transverse section on :the line Figure 5 is a detail perspectiveof a tire deflating velement employedA in the structure shownin Figure 3. n

Certain structural details ofthe assembly are common to both vforms ot the invention to prov-ide in a device ofv 'through la hollow tube with the invention andA 1929. Serial V1go. 365,941.

vand-consist of an elongated body 10 substantially formed as an L-shaped casting with the short arm 11 formed as the tire valve stem engaging element over a valve stem indicated as at 1Q in Figure 1.

The body 10 .of the casting is sufficiently Y elongated yto serve as a handle and is provided `throughout' its length with an air supply bore 13 positioned iin parallelspaced Arelation directly below an upper bore 14 which is adapted and formed to contain the pressure relief means to be described. i

At the inlet end of the air supply bore 13, a hollow coupling 15 is threaded into the body 10 and receives one end of an air supkply hose 16 which may be of any conventional type, the cou sling serving to establish communication between the Vair hose A16 and the bore 13. Adjacent the coupling 1.5 the inlet bore 113 extends -tor a short distance in a uniform internal diameter `terminating .in an yannular should-er 17 beyond which vthe borecontinues in a section 18 of reduced diameter termina-ting in a second annular shoulder 19 beyond which the bore cont-inues in a section 2O having a further reduced diameter terminating inthe third annular shoulder 2`1beyond which the major portion of the here 13 vcontinues in a further reduced uniform diame- Qter, all ot which is clearly shown in Figure 3. A cup-shaped header or washer Q2 seats against the shoulder 17 and is provid-ed with a central I,here for slidabl receiving there- 23 llhrmed Vwith a longitudinal side opening slot 2e of a. uniform width throughout all that portion of the V,tube 23 which engages within :the bore .of the header 22 and extends in the .direction of the coupling 15. Beyond `the header 2Q the slot Ql is enlarged in width as at 25, this enlarged slotqbeing disposed within the ,section 18 of the inlet bore 13.

Abutting the shoulder 19 is a spider 26 Vhaving a plurality of radial arms 27 which engagevthe shoulder 119 and having a hub portion QSprovided with a central bore which receives one end of the tube 2 3 which extends therethrough and terminates in an enlarged head 29 closing the lend `of the'tuhe and serving as a stop member for abutting engage- .les

ment with the shoulder 21 in the bore section 20. The tube 23 is closed also at its outer end adj aeent the coupling 15 and between the header 22 and the spider 26 the body of the tube is surrounded by a spiral expansion spring 30, one end of which abuts the spider Q6 and the other a washer 31 rigidly secured to the body of the tube.

rllhis mechanism as described comprises automatic air flow governing means which operates as follows: Air entering under pressure through the coupling 15 passes into the tube Q3 through the slot Q4 and expands through the slot 25 into the chamber consisting of the bore section 18. This air pressure acting against the tube and also through the spaces between the arms 27 and the spider against the head 29, causes a longitudinal movement ot the tube 24 in the direction ot air tlow and against compression ot the spring 30. As this longitudinal movement is increased it is obvious that the effective length of the slot 24 decreases and thereby cuts down the volume ot' air entering through this slot, so that the pressure decreases in the chamber sections 18 and 20 until an automatic balance has been reached which maintains an even flow of air under a constant pressure and prevents too great a surge of pressure at the commencement of the tire intlating operation.

In the form of automatic governor illustrated in Figure 2 the coupling 15 is provided at its inner end with a cage 32 adapted to i abut one end of a stem 33 extending longitudinally through a pair of telescoping hollow tubular casings 34 and 35, the outermost of which is retained in position by seating engagement against the shoulder 19 ot' the bore 13, the inner end of the stem 33 being provided with a head 29 adapted for abutting engagement against the shoulder 21. The casingT 34 is provided with a longitudinal side opening slot 36 whereby air entering through the coupling 15 passes to the interior of the casing section 35 and discharges through the end of the casing which seats against the shoulder 19. Longitudinal movement of the casing 34 is resisted by the action ot a compression spring 37 surrounding the portion 37 of stem 33 between the apertured inner end of the casing 34 and the apertured inner end of the casing 35. In this form of governor I provide for a predetermined setting of the spring tension by means of a nut 38 threaded over the outer end of the stem 33 and adapted to bear against the outer end of the casing 34 whereby under rotation of the nut the two casings 34 and 35 may be telescop-ed or expanded for a desired initial setting before the governor assembly is inserted within the air inlet bore.

Above the coupling 15, the bore 14 in the inner portion of the body 10 is closed by a threaded bushing 39 disposed therein and provided with a central bore receiving a nontravelling stein 40 in rotatable relation therethrough, the outer end of the stem 40 having` rigidly secured thereto an operating head 41 cooperating with an annular head or enlarge-l ment formed on the stem at the inner end oi' the bushing 39, whereby a rotatable movement of the stein is permitted but any longitudin al movement thereot'- is prevented. Beyond the head 42 the stem 40 is extended and is externally threaded throughout the portion 43 it'or engagement by a longitudinally elongated cylindrical plug 44 tormed with a hollow center or bore 45 and internally threaded for engagement over the stem portion 43 whereby upon rotation ot the stem 40 through manipulation of the operating head 41, the cylindrical plug 44 will be caused to move longitudinally within the bore 14. l

A spring clip 4G mounted in the bore 45 ol the plug 44 carries a pointer member 4 which extends laterally through the body ot the plug 44 tor slidable engagement through a slot 48 formed in the external face of the body 10. The tip of the pointer 47 cooperates with suitable scale indicia 49 arranged on the body 10 at the side edges of the slot 47, the graduations ot which are suitably scaled to indicate pounds of pressure ranging from Zero to a desired maximum. One end of the slot 48 terminates in a vertical wall 50 acting as a stop abutment for a vertical edge ot the pointer 47, while the opposite end 51 of the slot is inwardly inclined for sliding cooperative engagement with a similarly inclined face 52 formed on the pointer so that when the faces 51 and ."2 are brought into engagement under proper longitudinal movement of theplug 44, the pointer 47 is depressed and moves laterally inward ot the plug against action of the spring clip 46 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The opposite end of the bore 14 communicates through a chamber 53 with a discharge outlet port 54 extending laterally through the body 10 and which chamber contains a ball valve 55 maintained in closed engagement against a seat 56 by means of a cup washer 57 bearing against the ball 55 through the action ot an expansion spring 58 disposed in the bore 14 between the inner end ot the plug 44 and the washer 57.

The ball valve seat 5G is disposed at one end of a passage which is substantially closed by a threaded plug 59 having a central reduced bore 60 extending therethrough and opening in communication with a vertical expansion chamber 61 arranged in the portion 11 of the body 10. This expansion chamber G1 is cylindrical and in the form shown in Figure 2 is closed at its upper end by a cap 62 threaded into the body 10 ot the casting. Directly opposite the plug` 59 the casting is provided with a removable plug (S3 CII whereby access may be had to the plug 59 when the plug 63 is relnoved.

In the form of construction as shown in Figure 2, he end of the air inlet bore 13 is normally closed by a conical valve plug 64 having a depending cylindrical body portion 65 provided with a central longitudinal passage 66 open at its lower end for communication with the tire valve stem 12 and having communication at its upper end with a lateral branch passage 67 which establishes communication with the bore 13 when the valve plug is in elevated position. The top of the conical plug portion 64 extends into the chamber 61 and is formed to engage one end of a coiled expansion spring 68 disposed within the chamber and abutting the plug 64 at its lower end and the cap plug 62 at its upper end so that its normal function is to maintain the conical plug portion 64 depressed into engagement with its seat whereby the passage 67 is disposed out of communication with the bore 13 and the valve is closed. Y

The lower end of the cylindrical portion 65 of the valve plug carries a rubber sealing washer 69 which is adapted for sealing engagement with the tire valve stem 12 when the chuck is applied thereover, as shown in Figure 2, the manual depression of the chuck serving to lift the valve 64-65 against action of the spring 68 and therefore to establish communication not only between the inlet bore 13 and the bore of the valve stem 12, but also between the bore of the valve stemv12 and the expansion chamber 61. At the same time communication is established between the bore 13 and the expansion chamber 61.

ln the form of construction shown'in Figure 3, the chuck head is provided with means for deflating a tire and in this embodiment the cap plug 62, shown in F igure 2, is replaced by a ring nut 7 0 having an enlarged central bore 71 and racting to compress a Washer 72 against the seat 73 formed at one end of the expansion chamber 61. A depressible plug 74, shown in detail in Figure 5, operates through the washer 72 and is formed with anv enlarged flat head 75 having a bearing engagement against the upper end of the spring 68, the side walls of the body 74 above the head 75 being cut away in flat parallel faces 76 so that when the plug 74 is sufliciently depressed by manual operation through the bore 71, air may escape from the chamber 61 around the head 75 and through the washer 72 along the Hat faces 76 for deflating the'tire.

In the operation of the chuck when it is desired to inflate a tire, for instance to a pressure of thirty-live pounds, the operating head 41 is turned until the dial 47 registers with the thirty-five pound indication on the scale 49 after which the chuck head 11 is applied over the valve stem 12 and pressed down inthe conventional manner. *This operation Iraises and opens the vaflve 64-4-65 whereupon nif Ythe tire pressure be .below the desired amount, air will enter fromrthe bore 13l th-rough the valve passages 67 and 66 into the tire and ,at 4the same time the airunderpressure will also enter the expansionc-hamber 61 acti-ngagainst the ball valve 55, which valve,

however, is Vheld in closed position through the aetionof the spring 58 disposed between the plug 44 andthe vcup washer 57. Vhen a pressure of thirty-five pounds has been reached in the tire, an increased air pressure will cause the ball valve 55 to open as the spring 58 `has been set only for a pressure of :thirty-five pounds under the regulationV of the pointer 47. lfVhen the valve 5,5 opens theexcess airwill discharge through the passage I60 and through the exhaust port 54. i :If-the tire pressure is above the desired point which is set by the pointer 47, when the valve ,6465 opens, the excess air will be discharged in the manner just described through the valve 55 and exhaust port 54 as well as such air which enters under pressure throughthe bore 13.

In the construction of chuck as illustrated in Figure 3 a tire may be deflated by turning the chuck to engage the plug 76 with the valve stem. The plug 7 6 may then be depressed against action of the spring 68 after the chuck head has been applied over the valve stem 12, whereupon the air within the tire will exhaust around the head 75 through the washer 72 and outwardly along the flat faces 76 of the plug.

The automatic air flow governing meansv has been previously described in detail, and as stated, it functions to prevent too great a surge of air pressure at the initial inflating and maintains a uniformity of flow throughout the entire operation.

While I have illustrated and described in this specification certain details of construction, I desire it to be understood that the invention described is not to be limited thereto but that any desired changes and modifications may be made within the structural details as will fall within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A tire chuck comprising a substantially L-shaped casting having a pair of parallel spaced longitudinally disposed bores formed in the long portion thereof and communicating at one end with a transverse bore extending through the short portion thereof, a valve 1n said transverse bore having a seat common thereto and to one of said longitudinal tion with means for supplying air thereto under pressure, and means operable in the other of said longitudinally disposed bores for controlling exhaust-of air from said chuck at a predetermined pressure point.

2. A tire chuck comprising a substantially L shaped casting having a pair of parallel spaced longitudinally extending bores in the long portion thereof and communicating at one end with a transverse bore provided entirely through the short portion, one of said longitudinal bores being adapted for supplying air under pressure, a tire stem operated valve seated in and normally closing both said air supply bore and the transverse bore at one end thereof, a tire stem operated valve seated in and normally closing the other end of said transverse bore7 an expansion spring housed in said transverse bore and hearing at its ends against both of said valves, and ad justable exhaust valve means disposed in the other of said longitudinal bores.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

JAMES A. VINCENT. 

